North Texas Dentistry Volume 10 Issue 4 | Page 6

Photo by Ray Bryant , Bryant Studios
Texas Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery facility ’ s design theme is “ techno-industrial ”, with stained concrete floors , exposed steel duct work , and extensive use of glass block .
The recovery room accommodates two patients and family members simultaneously , with full medical gas , vacuum , and monitoring capabilities . Each site is also wired for video , allowing patients to watch TV or DVDs during recovery .
The nurses ’ station includes a built-in ESMA unit for automatic ultrasonic cleaning , ultrasonic rinsing and hot air drying of instruments . Three computer workstations allow the clinical staff access to all network functions , including digital photographic imaging and radiology . Wireless sensors are used to monitor the temperature and humidity of the OR and the facility ’ s two refrigerators ( one for pharmaceuticals , another for nutritional products ).
The operating room is larger than most hospital ORs , with both medical ( dry ) and dental ( wet ) vacuum systems , and dual , ceiling-mounted high-intensity surgical lights with articulating arms and fiberoptic light source . Bacterial contamination is minimized by a laminar air flow system , seamless flooring , and an external hands-free scrub sink . entered private practice in 1987 and founded Texas Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in 1995 .
As a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery , Dr . Bates has been board-certified in the specialty since 1989 . He has held appointments on the faculty of Texas A & M University System Health Science Center , the former Baylor College of Dentistry , as a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery , where he has been privileged to participate in clinical research and has served on several Master ’ s thesis committees in the Department of Orthodontics . He is active in many professional and civic organizations and has received numerous professional honors . He has authored several articles published in peer-reviewed journals and is a prolific lecturer and presenter around the U . S . and internationally , speaking to colleagues about new horizons in his specialty . Volunteering his services on the medical and dental mission field for years has become “ a pretty routine habit ” and has allowed him the opportunity to expose his son Jesse to foreign culture . Dr . Bates and his staff are committed to providing the highest quality health care possible for their patients .
Dr . Bates describes the design theme as “ techno-industrial ”, with stained concrete floors , exposed steel ductwork , and extensive use of glass block . The overhead concrete deck is stained and exposed as well , creating a 13-foot ceiling height . Cabinets and counters are covered with a metal laminate , matching the other metallic design elements .
A central focus of the facility is the conference room , specially designed for multidisciplinary treatment planning and digital projection . The room ’ s spacious design allows it to accommodate at least twelve people comfortably .
The custom-made Boyd operating tables were customized to include memory foam and ultra-leather , eliminating the need for rigging a flat , square-cornered hospital operating table designed for general surgery with extra foam pads and pillows required to prevent the ulnar nerve injuries common to elbow hyperextension , as well as knee and heel pressure sores .
When the facility was being designed , Dr . Bates insisted on including a space dedicated solely to digital diagnostic imaging , including cone-beam CT and photography . “ None of the commercially available setups were large enough for our purposes . In our new imaging room , we had our construction team design and build in a recessed lighting system for digital photography that is ideal and allows us to achieve optimal photography .” In addition , in 2018 , the practice installed a new state-of-the-art Planmeca Viso CT , the first of these in the U . S . out-
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